Method of conserving liquefied gases



March 14; 1933.

v c. w. P. HEYLANDT' warnon OF CONSERVING LIQUEFIED GASES Filed Nov. 21, 1927- u w .0 1 H v 0 2 I 2y 0 y E 9 3 :c:

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' warming 10 agent iNVENTOR W 7mm v several steps and the relation an Patented Mar. 14, 1 933 UNITED STATES PATENT. ormca' CHRISTIAN mm PAUL m, or mama-z, em; assrenon 'ro IL'flGA AIK'I'IEN-GESELLSGHAIT, or 81. EdB-ITZ, swnznnmnn men 01' CONBERVING mommn GASES application fled November 81, 1987, Serial No, 284,914, and in Germany November 24, 1988. i

This invention relates to a method of conserving liquefied gas held in containers of the insulated variety, and has for its object generally an im roved procedure for collecting and storing t e gas evolved in the container by normal evaporation during periods of non-consumption of gas material.

More specifically, it is an object to store the gas evolved from containers of the char acter indicated in a manner which does not involve hi h pressures and utilizes the adsorption e ect produced by highly chilling a bod of finely divided adsorbing material of a c aracter which is non-combustible.

It is a further object to provide a body of adsorbentmaterial such as silica gel in a vessel having communication with the gas space of thecontainer and arranged to utilize the refrigerating efiiect of the hquefied gas with-' drawn during periods of consumption to increase the adsorbent capacity of the body.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly com rises the order of one or more of such steps with res act to each of the others thereof, which wi be exemplified in the process'hereinafter disclosed, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a chart exhibitin the comparative adsorbent capacities of iodies such as charcoal and silica gel at various low temperatures; and

Fig. 2 is a view mainly in vertical crosssection showing an exemplary embodiment of apparatus arranged for thepractioe of the invention.

In order to conserve gas material in accordance with the present invention, a body of porous material having a relatively great adsorbent capacity is disposed in a vessel and laced in communication with a container or the liquefied gas. Such container is relatively hi leakage hly insulated in order to reduce heat om outside to the liquid within to a comparatively small value, and may be of ent capacity of charcoal and like carbonaceous materials is low, however, as compared with certain other materials such as silicic acid gels.

It has been ascertained by experiment that certain gels at tem eratures near the boiling point of lique ed gases such as liquid,

air, oxygen and the like, have in general a much higher adsorbent capacity than corresponding amounts of charcoal, and will consequently occupy less space than the latter when arranged to provide equal amounts of adsorbent capacity. The advanta e in the use of such gels, however arises mainly from the fact that silicic aci el is noncombustible and hence when broug t in contact with a combustion supportin substance such as oxygen, whether direct substantiall inactive and avoids the dangers and possibi ity of explosion incident to the use of charcoal. I

The silicic acid gel here preferred in the practice of the invention is that which has been separatedv out in gel shape from a water glass solution, for example that obtained when carbon dioxide is passed through such or indirectly, is

a solution. Such gel when chilled to rela-- tively low temperatures, for example to a temperature of -183 C. the boiling pomt of liquid oxygen, has an'a'dsorbent power which is more than 50% over that of an equal amount of charcoal. Moreover, the adsorbent I capacity grows considerablg as the temperaaving moving parts, such as valves and pistons to draw over and'store the gas evolved by natural evaporation ,from the container:

during periods of non-consumption. By referring'to the curve for silica gel in Fig. 1 of the drawing, where the comparative adsorbent capacities of charcoal and silica gel are depicted, one can ascertainthe' desired amount of silica gel that is to be provided according to the invention in communication with a container for liquefied gas when the rate of evaporation during periods of nonconsumption is known. Accordin to the method of the present invention, t e bodyof silica gel used for providing adsorption is utilized atits highest practical capacity. This is accomplished by chilling the gel by means of the refrigerating effect of the liquefied gas withdrawn and supplied to consuming apparatus during periods of gas consumption. An arrangement of ap paratus suitable for accomplishing this is shownin Fig. 2, where denotes a vessel for holding liquefied gashaving a mantle of insulating material 11 enclosed in an envelope or casing 12. A vessel 13 having'a mantle ofinsulation 14 and a casing 15 is provided having communication by way of the conduits 16 and 17 with the gas space above the surface of the liquefied gas in the vessel 10. A liquid phase withdrawal conduit is shown at 18 having its inner end 19 depending below the li uid level in the vessel 10. This conduit lea s through the wall of the container and is arranged to communicate with a chilling coil 20 disposed in the vessel 13 and arranged to be in thermal contact with the adsorbent material contained therein. The coil 20 has an outlet connection 21 leadin to a heating coil 22 which may be supporte on the exterior of the container for liquefied gas in the manner shown. From the far end of the heating coil 22 a connection 23 leads to a oint in the gas supply-conduit 17 beyond t at at which the vessel 13 communicates b way of conduit 16. Suitable flow-contro ing means are provided in these conduits, for example valves, as shown at '24, 25 511K126.

The gas stored'in the vessel 13 by adsor t1on under low temperatures and at slight pressures may later be released for'consumption by warmin the adsorbent material in the vessel 13. ccordingly, a coil is shown surrounding the vessel 13, through which a suitable agent may be circulated for warming the gel beyond the zero point to su ply gas at a pressure equal to or slightly ab that in the conduit 17.

In operation during periods ofconsumpt1on,'the gas supply conduit 17 is opened by means of the valve 24 to permit the passage of gas material in the gas phasefrom the container 10 to the consuming apparatus. When the gas pressure has been sufiiciently reduced by withdrawal through the conduit 17, the

further supply of gas material is obtained by withdrawal of gas material in the iquid apparatus.

base through the conduit 18. This liquid rst traverses the space in the vessel 13 chilling the adsorbent material therein and thereby becomes heated' and va orized, the final heating being accomplishe b heating coil 22, the vaporize .gas material of the connection 23 when the valve 25 is opened.

means o'f the 7 The adsorbent material in the vessel 13,

when cooled by the passage of the cold-liquid being withdrawn from thecontainer 10 by way of conduit 1 8-,-has its adsorbent capacity greatly increased during container 10 during a period of non-consum tion, is, in consequence, drawn over into t e vessel 13, where it is adsorbed by the material therein, the valves 24 and 25 being closed periods of con-- 'sumption. The gas which vaporizes in the 8 during this period, the valve 26 in the conduit 16 being open except when it is desired to .cut the vessel 13 out of tion to be stored and conserved withoutun sure in the container 10; It is sometimes advantageous to keep the valve 26 closed during the period when quid is being withdrawn,

so that the adsorbent will have a capacity to adsorb a larger volume of gas when consumption of gas material ceases. When it is desired again to supply gas to consuming apparatus, the gas stored in the vessel 13 is withdrawn and utilized by heating thevessel 13, as indicated above, the stored gas is evolved and passed into the,

conduit 17 and supplied to the consumping After this, the gel or material in operation. This adsorption permits the'gas'evolved during periods of non-consum until substantially all 1 uly raising the pres- I the vessel 13 is cooled by the passage of 1i uid r through the conduit 18 untilthe perio of consumption terminates, when-another periodof non-consumption accompanied with adsorption and storage of gas fromthe container 10 will ensue.

Having described my invention, what I no claim as new and Patent, is: 1

1. The method of conserving liquefied gas held in a container .which'comprises cooling an adsorbent by passinglthe liquefied (gas in thermal contact with t e adsorbent uring periods of consumption-ofthe liquefied gas, and adsorbing the gas evaporated from the desire to secure by Letters liquefied gas in the adsorbent during periods 1 of non-consumption.

2. The method of conserving liquefied gas held in a container which comprises passlng the liquefied gas in thermal contact with a body of silica gel adsorbent during periods of consumption of the liquefied gas, sorbing the gas evaporated from the liquefied gas in the said silica gel adsorbent uring periods of non-consumption.

3. The method of conserving 1i uefied gas held in an insulated container w ch comand ad- 1 passing to ,the consuming apparatus by way v C prises cooling a body of silica gel adsorbent with the liquefied gas during periods of consumption of the liquefied gas, adsorbing the gas evaporated from the liquefied gas in the said sihca gel adsorbent duringteperiodseof non-consumption, and therea r heating said adsorbent to evolvethe gas therefrom.

In testimony whereof I' have signed my I name to this specification.

CHRISTIAN 'ILHEl-I PAUL HEYLANDT. 

